09 May 2013 | 14:19

Festival of steppe barbecue and pilaf held in Almaty oblast

Festival of steppe barbecue and pilaff. ©Vladimir Prokopenko

Big Kazakhstan ecotourism and non-traditional sports festival Tamgaly Tas was held in Almaty oblast for the first time, Tengrinews.kz reports. More than 7000 people from Almaty, Taldykorgan, Tekeli and other towns of Almaty oblast came to Tamgaly Tas gorge to participate in the two-day open-air event. Racers on Enduro motorcycles and quads opened the festival. More than 50 participants of the race drove through seven loops of the difficult race with steep ascents and descents, ramps and labyrinth. There were three categories of racers: professionals, amateur and juniors. It was the latter category that made a stir in the audience. The audience applauded and cheered ten brightly-colored small motorcycles and quads, when they appeared at the start. Eight-year-old Artem Vorontsov was the first racer to cross the finish line. “I started going in for motocross when I was five. I didn’t count all my races. But this time is the second time when I came first. I used to fall off a lot. Sometimes I fell down over the handle-bar. But I braced myself and always finished the race,” the young champion said. ©Ruslan Matrenin Steppe barbecue and pilaf continued the festival after the race. Ten cooking teams cooked 300 kilograms of grilled meat of different kinds. The participants tried the meat and voted for the cooks. Those, who wished to eat some more could try beshbarmak (Kazakh national dish) in a yurt (a portable felt house traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia). Fresh and tasty food cooked on open fire on the bank of the Ili River was an important but not the only attraction of the festival. Beach soccer, volleyball, paintball and rock climbing was available at different sites of the festival all at the same time. Kazaksha kures show (Kazakh national wrestling) and Kazakh national horse game Kyz Kuu sparked special interest of the guests. ©Ruslan Matrenin Meanwhile water sportsmen were waiting for the arrival of participants of Ili-Balkhash regatta on the bank of the Ili River. Participants of the regatta were drifting with the river current on floats and boats from the Chinese border to Lake Balkhash in a month-long journey. Yurt town of craftsmen became another attraction of the festival. Students of Temirbek Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy gave master-classes on pottery, beadweaving, painting and other arts. ©Ruslan Matrenin ©Ruslan Matrenin Music bands from Kazakhstan, Russia and other post-soviet countries performed at the evening concert of the Festival. According to Timur Yeleussizov, organizer of the open-air festival, visitors liked the idea of the festival very much and it will become a tradition and will be held annually. ©Ruslan Matrenin By Vladimir Prokopenko

Big Kazakhstan ecotourism and non-traditional sports festival Tamgaly Tas was held in Almaty oblast for the first time, Tengrinews.kz reports. More than 7000 people from Almaty, Taldykorgan, Tekeli and other towns of Almaty oblast came to Tamgaly Tas gorge to participate in the two-day open-air event. Racers on Enduro motorcycles and quads opened the festival. More than 50 participants of the race drove through seven loops of the difficult race with steep ascents and descents, ramps and labyrinth. There were three categories of racers: professionals, amateur and juniors. It was the latter category that made a stir in the audience. The audience applauded and cheered ten brightly-colored small motorcycles and quads, when they appeared at the start. Eight-year-old Artem Vorontsov was the first racer to cross the finish line. “I started going in for motocross when I was five. I didn’t count all my races. But this time is the second time when I came first. I used to fall off a lot. Sometimes I fell down over the handle-bar. But I braced myself and always finished the race,” the young champion said.

©Ruslan Matrenin Steppe barbecue and pilaf continued the festival after the race. Ten cooking teams cooked 300 kilograms of grilled meat of different kinds. The participants tried the meat and voted for the cooks. Those, who wished to eat some more could try beshbarmak (Kazakh national dish) in a yurt (a portable felt house traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia). Fresh and tasty food cooked on open fire on the bank of the Ili River was an important but not the only attraction of the festival. Beach soccer, volleyball, paintball and rock climbing was available at different sites of the festival all at the same time. Kazaksha kures show (Kazakh national wrestling) and Kazakh national horse game Kyz Kuu sparked special interest of the guests.

©Ruslan Matrenin Meanwhile water sportsmen were waiting for the arrival of participants of Ili-Balkhash regatta on the bank of the Ili River. Participants of the regatta were drifting with the river current on floats and boats from the Chinese border to Lake Balkhash in a month-long journey. Yurt town of craftsmen became another attraction of the festival. Students of Temirbek Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy gave master-classes on pottery, beadweaving, painting and other arts.

©Ruslan Matrenin Music bands from Kazakhstan, Russia and other post-soviet countries performed at the evening concert of the Festival. According to Timur Yeleussizov, organizer of the open-air festival, visitors liked the idea of the festival very much and it will become a tradition and will be held annually.

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